Contents

Background

Ishikawa attending the five Kage summit along with Mū.

At the first meeting of the five Kage, Ishikawa, accompanied by Mū, sat alongside the others, where he noted that he had come in good faith to endorse the meeting of the five Kage, but noted that he would not sign so easily to agreement. True to his words, he expressed outrage when the First Kazekage made a demand that instead of receiving a tailed beast, as the sand priests had already sealed away one, they requested 30% of whatever they would pay for a tailed beast from Konoha. As infighting broke out and Hashirama Senju made his plea to them to preserve the future of their children and unite, he looked on intently.[3]

In the anime, Ishikawa had a collection of sacred scrolls that contained secret techniques of his bug-tamer arts which at some point of time he hid, even from his own clan.

Ishikawa speaking with Ōnoki.

At some point during his tenure, Ishikawa tasked a young Ōnoki with cleaning the Stone Monument of their village, under his direct supervision. During the exercise, he explained that the stone was a symbol of the tough, unmovable will of the shinobi of Iwagakure — something that he regarded as "essential". Although describing Ōnoki as possessing such a will, he warned how forsaking it would result in a life filled only with excuses and hatred.[4]

Personality

Ishikawa seemed to be a composed individual, with wisdom and experience befitting of his age. By his own admission, he was able to discern the value of a stone and a person's will alike by merely looking at them. As a consequence of this, he had a tendency to make reference to stones and their properties while speaking, aptly demonstrated during his advice to Ōnoki about discovering his innate strong will.[4]

Appearance

Ishikawa in his old age wearing the Tsuchikage headpiece.

During old age, Ishikawa had grown a bristling moustache and long beard, both of which had dark highlights running through them alternately. He also had a tendency to squint, otherwise only opening just one of his eyes when necessary. He wore the traditional Kage attire — consisting of the customary hat and cloak — over a dark, loose-fitting, full-length gown that was tied using a lighter sash around his waist.

At the first meeting of the five Kage, he wore a dark-coloured kimono with light-coloured trimmings, while his long hair hung loosely around his face.[5]

Abilities

Though his capabilities remain largely unknown, overall, as the founding Tsuchikage, Ishikawa must had undoubtedly been a powerful ninja. He could also use Earth Release to make his body light enough to fly.[6] In the anime, it was alluded to the fact that he used insect-based ninjutsu as his fighting style.

Legacy

Many years after his reign, Ishikawa's family would produce two more Tsuchikage, his grandson Ōnoki becoming the Third, and his great-great granddaughter Kurotsuchi becoming the Fourth. In the anime, some time after his passing, Ishikawa's clan fell into disgrace, leading some of his direct descendants to attempt to find his secret scroll of forbidden techniques in hopes of restoring their former glory.

Ishikawa was mentioned in Part I of the anime, long before his Part II manga début in Ōnoki's flashback. In the anime, he was mentioned to be from the Kamizuru clan and a bee user.

When Ishikawa's spirit was summoned by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, he appeared as his younger self as seen during the first Kage Summit, despite having an older appearance during Ōnoki's childhood.

Quotes

(To Ōnoki) "If you forsake your will while hitting a wall… you will begin to make excuses and obtain hatred in exchange of your determination. Listen now… you have to step forward without abandoning your will!"[7]